General quotes

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Matthew 10, 14 (NT)

Personal avowals

What I really need is to get clear about what I am to do, not what I must know, except insofar as knowledge must precede every act. What matters is to find my purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth that is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die. Of what use would it be to me to discover a so-called objective truth, to work through the philosophical systems so that I could, if asked, make critical judgments about them, could point out the fallacies in each system; of what use would it be to me to be able to develop a theory of the state, getting details from various sources and combining them into a whole, and constructing a world I did not live in but merely held up for others to see. Søren Kierkegaard [LoC 410] (1813-1855) Danish existentialist philosopher, theologian, writer, journal entry, 1. August 1835

I know my fate. One day there will be associated with my name the recollection of something frightful / of a crisis like no other before on earth, of the profoundest collision of conscience, of a decision evoked against everything that until then had been believed in, demanded, sanctified. I am not a man I am dynamite. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) German classical scholar, critic of culture, philologist, philosopher of nihilism, writer, Walter Kaufmann, translator, autobiography Ecce homo. How One Becomes What One Is, written 1888-1889, C. G. Naumann, Leipzig, 1908

Man is not by any means of fixed and enduring form (this, in spite of suspicions to the contrary on the part of their wise men, was the ideal of the ancients). He is nothing else than the narrow and perilous bridge between nature and spirit. His innermost destiny drives him on to the spirit and to God. His innermost longing draws him back to nature, the mother. Between the two forces his life hangs tremulous and irresolute. Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) German-born Swiss poet, novelist, autobiographical novel Steppenwolf, S. Fischer Verlag, 1927

A true vocation requires shedding anything that would impede or obscure the call. A true pilgrimage requires letting go of the very things most people try to hold onto. In seeking after what the soul desires we become pilgrims with no home but the path the soul would have us follow. As the old proverb says, "Before you begin the journey, you own the journey. Once you have begun, the journey owns you." After all, what good is a dream that doesn’t test the mettle of the dreamer? What good is a path that doesn’t carry us to the edge of our capacity and then beyond that place? A true calling involves a great exposure before it can become a genuine refuge.Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org (*1944) US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, author, Fate and Destiny. The Two Agreements of the Soul, Greenfire Press, 30. September 2010

The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with the prarabdha karma. Whatever is destined not to happen – will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent. Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter, source unknown

Rhine Falls, Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Free will and destiny are ever existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned about it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free will and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But jnana transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Whatever happens, happens as the result of one's past actions, of divine will and of other factors. There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to inquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time, 'Not I, but Thou, oh Lord' and giving up all sense of 'I' and 'mine', and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self-inquiry or bhakti marga (path). Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Hindu sage, spiritual activist leader, humanitarian, lawyer, nonviolent freedom fighter, source unknown

Man is a transitional being: he is not final. For in man, and high beyond him ascend the radiant degrees that climb to a divine supermanhood. There lies our destiny and the liberating key to our aspiring but limited and mundane existence. Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) Indian British philosopher, mystic, The Hour of God, S. 7, Integral Yoga, 5-9 December 1950

The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided [not in touch with both the light AND dark parts of themselves] and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world must per force act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalytist, founder of a new school of analytical depth psychology, author, Gerhard Adler, editor, R. F. C. Hull, translator, The Collected Works of C.G. Jung. Volume 9, The Collected Works of C. G. Jung. Christ, A Symbol of the Self, volume 9ii, paragraph 126, 1935, Princeton University Press, 1. February 1977, 2nd edition 1. June 1979, 2nd revised edition 1. August 1981

People had simply no idea that our personal psychology is just a thin skin, a ripple upon the ocean of collective psychology. The powerful factor, the factor which changes our whole life, which changes the surface of our known world, which makes history, is collective psychology, and collective psychology moves according to laws entirely different from those of our [individual] consciousness. The archetypes are the great decisive forces, they bring about the real events, and not our personal reasoning and practical intellect. […] the archetypal images decide the fate of man. Man's unconscious psychology decides, and not what we think and talk in the brain-chamber up in the attic. Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist, psychoanalytist, founder of a new school of depth psychology, author, source unknown

Every man has his own vocation. The talent is the call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him. He has faculties silently inviting him thither to endless exertion.He is like a ship in a river; he runs against obstructions on every side but one; on that side all obstruction is taken away, and he sweeps serenely over God's depths into an infinite sea.This talent and this call depend on his organization, or the mode in which a general soul incarnates in him. He inclines to do something which is easy to him, and good when it is done, but which no other man can do.He has no rival.For the more truly he consults his own powers, the more difference will his work exhibit from the work of any other. When he is true and faithful, his ambition is exactly proportional to his powers. By doing his work he makes the need felt which only he can supply. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) US American philosopher, Unitarian, lecturer, poet, essayist, Essays. First Series, Prudence, 1841, 1847

The Universe is evolving toward an even greater destiny, and we are the means of this global transformation! Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) Indian founder of the International Sufi Order and the International Sufi movement, The Way of Illumination, Volume 1, undated

The true spiritual path is a path of humbleness. I fear being humiliated and I am not going there.If you are afraid of being humiliated you will be arrogant and prideful and that will be your downfall. If you are afraid to be humiliated you only live your fate. You will never get to your destiny. [...] People associate God with being humiliated. They associate and spiritual surrender with being humiliated and poverty. Video interview with Caroline MyssMyss.com (*1952) US American spiritual teacher, mystic, medical intuitive, bestselling author, Human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, Chicago, Illinois, presented by webTV Juicy Living Tour, host Lilou Macé, French-American Internet video blogger, author, YouTube film, minutes 16:57 and 50:54, 57:26 minutes duration, posted 4. August 2011

Question: How do I find my life's purpose?Answer: Have no judgements about your life, no expectations and give up the need to know what happens tomorrow. Video interview with Caroline MyssMyss.com (*1952) US American spiritual teacher, mystic, medical intuitive, bestselling author, Power, Intuition and Grace, presented by the US American liberal-oriented online newspaper The Huffington Post via Harpo Studios, program "Oprah's Lifeclass", Super Soul Sunday, talk show host Oprah Winfrey (*1954) US American talk show host, actress, visionary, billionaire, philanthropist, minute 13:02, 41:33 duration, aired 24. June 2012

[B]lunders are not the merest chance. They are the results of suppressed desires and conflicts. They are ripples on the surface of life, produced by unsuspected springs. And these may be very deep – as deep as the soul itself. The blunder may amount to the opening of a destiny. Joseph Campbell, Ph.D. (1904-1987) US American mythologist, expert in comparative mythology and comparative religion, author, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Princeton University Press, 1949

Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. ⚡Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British prime minister of the United Kingdom during the 2nd World War (1940-1945) and (1951-1955), racist war criminal, speech at the Crimea Conference in the House of Commons, 27. February 1945, cited in: The Second World War, Volume VI. Triumph and Tragedy, chapter XXIII "Yalta: Finale", 1954

Hike path in autumn

To repress rebellion is to maintain the status quo, a condition which binds the mortal creature in a state of intellectual or physical slavery. But it is impossible to chain man merely by slaving his body; the mind also must be held, and to accomplish this, fear is the accepted weapon. The common man must fear life, fear death, fear God, fear the Devil, and fear most the overlords, the keepers of his destiny.Manly Palmer Hall (1901-1990) Canadian-born mystic, occultist, 33rd degree Freemason, author, source unknown

If you do not make the mistake of many and set up your will in opposition to Divine law, you will fulfill that high destiny for which you were chosen. George Washington [US Founding Father] (1732-1799) US American dominant military and political leader (1775-1799), presiding co-author of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, first US president (1789-1797), Freemason, source unknown

Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi – all these peopled described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy. And they all took the spotlight, even though every bone in their bodies was telling them not to. Video presentation by Susan Cain (*1968) US American former corporate lawyer, negotiations consultant, self-described introvert, lecturer, author of Quiet, The power of introverts [Die Macht der Introvertierten], transcript, presented by TED Talks 2012, minute 6:54, 19:04 minutes duration, filmed February 2012, posted March 2012

I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) English critic, editor, poet, prose poem Invictus, 1875

A woman's highest calling is to lead a man to his soul, so as to unite him with Source;her lowest calling is to seduce, separating man from soul and leave him aimlessly wandering. A man's highest calling is to protect woman, so she is free to walk the earth unharmed.Man's lowest calling is to ambush and force his way into the life of a woman.

One's fate, obviously, will either be for the better or for the worse, depending on the choices made by the spiritual will. It would seem from studies of the spiritual nature of consciousness that the choice to resume another human physical life would be an option that is determined by the innate patterns of a specific soul. Of more importance is the interpretation and understanding of the factors that determine the fate of the soul/energy body and its destiny after physical death. From [...] spiritual research, it appears that one's ultimate fate is the automatic and impersonal consequence of the energy patterns that have been set up in the aura of the spirit body, i.e., one's fate after physical death is merely the inevitable consequence of one's own choice and not a reward or a punishment meted out arbitrarily by some external figure, energy, or power. The self in the infinite sea of the Self gravitates to its fate solely by virtue of its own essence.Dr. David R. Hawkins, Eye of the I From Which Nothing is Hidden, S. 234-235, 2001

Allow yourself to be attracted by your destiny instead of trying to propel it. You don't have to propel yourself. You are moving fast enough! […] It is necessary that you develop respect for spiritual endeavor. Straight and narrow is the path, waste no time and effort.3 Precision is discipline that is innate to serious commitment. Some students may yet be in a period of exploration, but once one gets the 'fire in the belly', the urge to reach God becomes a drivenness or relentless drive, or even, in the eyes of the world, a 'madness'. From that point on, there is no patience for amusement or diversion. It depends on decision, will and the level of consciousness, and karmic propensities. As it gets more intense, the love for God and of God allows no delay. Dr. David R. Hawkins, Discovery of the Presence of God. Devotional Nonduality, headline "Spiritual Economy", S. 153, 2007

Question: What is different about the pathway of Devotional Nonduality compared to traditional teachings?Answer: It is characterized by the elimination of all trappings and nonessentials, for time is short and narrow are the gates. It is therefore not pertinent to the past; that is, to doctrine, dogma, historical rituals, personages, events, or belief systems. Empowerment is from within by assent of the will. Truth stands forth of its own when the obstacles are removed. The call is from within rather than a response to exhortation from without. The Source is both the initiator as well as the destination.Dr. David R. Hawkins, Dissolving the Ego, Realizing the Self. Contemplations from the Teachings of David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., edited by Scott Jeffrey, chapter 10 "Nonduality", S. 177, last quote, Hay House, August 2011

I see the world as a maximum karmic opportunity to evolve. In our world you have the strata of humanity, from the lowest (people who calibrate at LoC 40) to the highest (people in the high LoC 500s). The purpose of any incarnation is to maximize a karmic opportunity. Excerpted from Dr. David R. Hawkins, Power vs. Force, presented by the US American magazine In Light Times, August 2004; cited in: Power vs. Force. The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior, "Preface", S. 14-15, Hay House, February 2002

By your own agreement and choices you are aligned with the giant electromagneticfield of infinite power.Your karma, your destiny, is solely in your hands (which is what people are scared to hear).What you choose to be changes your charge.Nothing happens by accident nor could it. Audio interview with Dr. David R. Hawkins, The Meaning and Purpose of Life, presented by the suspended US American web radio station "Beyond the Ordinary", hosts Nancy Lorenz and Elena Young, 60 minutes duration, aired 11. January 2005

Quotes by Michael Meade

Personal avowals

By the hand of fate, I had become a disciple of myth, a servant of stories, and strangely a devotee of the notion that the soul is threaded through with a plotline from the beginning that aims at a destiny that might be possible to find before the end. Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Fate and Destiny. The Two Agreements of the Soul, Greenfire Press, 30. September 2010

We are each blind to our fate until we encounter it on the narrow roads where one thing conspires with another and we become unable to escape what was within us all along. We can not run from our fate any more than we can run from our family. Trying to run from the fate woven within us only leads us back to it. Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Fate and Destiny. The Two Agreements of the Soul, Greenfire Press, 30. September 2010

Fate and the soul are the same thing. Remember the word fate? Fatal. Death. We're in a little fate story. That's what the story is about. Fate and the soul are the same thing. We can't run from our own soul because it goes wherever we go. We are aimed at what we love and fated to encounter it, one way or another. Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Fate and Destiny. The Two Agreements of the Soul, Greenfire Press, 30. September 2010

What calls to us is of the Gods. […] The problem here on Earth isn't a lack of calling. The problem is the lack of following what beckons us far enough to learn its true nature. So much of life becomes arranged to obscure and distract us from what has called us to life in the first place. People easily misplace their deepest longing and tune themselves to someone else's idea of life.Most people remain unwilling to be extravagant enough to wander where the soul would lead them, and instead, simply adapt to an endless series of short term goals. Video presentation by Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Michael Meade reads from "Fate and Destiny", sponsored by the "Elliot Bay Bookstore", recorded by Never Not Here TV, Seattle, Washington, 2010, Youtube film, minute 58:35, 1:29:31 duration, posted 23. December 2010

Choice is not near as important as being chosen. Being chosen means to be called. [...] What counts in life is being called to be in a certain kind of life. [...] Each road of life will be marked with wounds as well as gifts. To be alive is to be wounded. Video presentation by Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Michael Meade reads from "Fate and Destiny", sponsored by the "Elliot Bay Bookstore'', recorded by Never Not Here TV, Seattle, Washington, 2010, Youtube film, minute 1:11:15, 1:29:31 duration, posted 23. December 2010

The calling starts when we're young. The problem is that it's a soft voice and we often don’t hear it, especially with the chatter around us. But it's there. So what happens when we get in trouble is it stops the chatter and sometimes that voice gets through. But often it doesn't get through fully when we're young and a lot of people live a life not tied to the genius of their own soul. But here's the valuable thing. This is so important, the awakening of one’s genius, the moving closer to living the life of giftedness and purpose, that the calling keeps calling. And no matter how old a person is or how close they get to the door of exit, the calling keeps calling. A person can awaken at any point along the path of life. Video presentation by Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, The Nature of Genius, sponsored by the Stanford University, Stanford, California, YouTube film, 1:22:47 duration, posted 14. December 2014

In the modern world, or in America anyway, a genius is someone with an IQ over 130. But in the traditional world everyone's a genius because everyone comes in with their own unique spirit and set of gifts and talents. Presentation by Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org US American storyteller, mythologist, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, 4 CD set Finding Genius In Your Life, Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, May 2014

The calling starts when we're young. The problem is that it's a soft voice and we often don't hear it, especially with the chatter around us. But it's there. So what happens when we get in trouble is it stops the chatter and sometimes that voice gets through. But often it doesn't get through fully when we're young and a lot of people live a life not tied to the genius of their own soul. But here's the valuable thing. This is so important, the awakening of one's genius, the moving closer to living the life of giftedness and purpose, that the calling keeps calling. And no matter how old a person is or how close they get to the door of exit, the calling keeps calling. A person can awaken at any point along the path of life. Michael MeadeMosaicvoices.org, US American storyteller, scholar of mythology, psychology, anthropology, ritualist, spokesman in the Men's Movement, author, Facebook comment, 17. February 2017

Paradox of straddling the chasm, leaping into the darkness –Allowing the second word to become the first word

Source: ► Audio interview with Robert Wicks, Ph.D.robertjwicks.com US American professor of clinical psychology, Loyola University Maryland, speaker, writer on the intersection of spirituality and psychology, Ensuring Your Well-Being, presented by the US web radio station New Dimensions, host Michael Toms, minute 3:44, 55:44 minutes duration, recorded 3. November 2011

3 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7, 13-14 (NT) ⇑